by Alan Mundle
Torbin thought he might pass out from the gravity of this news. He knew in the chamber that he had discovered something profound enough to give him all he wanted. But this was just crazy. 'Tenabin, what do you mean they are coming for me?'
But his leader would not answer. They kept walking until they reached the Command Cabin. The hustle and bustle in the expedition's command centre was far greater than that of the corridors. Tenabin walked straight to the central communications point and addressed the worker on duty.
'Report, kinsmen.'
'They have just left the mainland on the rail bridge on three trains. They should be here very soon.'
'How could they have assembled so quickly as to fill three trains?' said Borin.
'You've heard the stories like everyone else,' said Tenabin. 'Merely whispering the name of the First is enough to summon them. Torbin, in my office immediately, Borin, gather a contingent of our best Dwarves who are not guarding the creature and go out to the rail station to receive the First. The rest of you, all mining operations are suspended. Concentrate your efforts on making the whole facility presentable, the eyes all our people are now upon us. Make me proud.’
The expedition members saluted Tenabin and sped to work, while the Dwarf Commander pushed Torbin into his office. He took off his helmet and invited Torbin to do the same while sitting down behind his desk.
Tenabin put his hands in his head for a short moment, and the two Dwarves were silent. Tenabin finally broke the silence with a laugh. 'Trust you, of all Dwarves, to find something that the Gods themselves forgot and change everything.'
'Commander, the discovery is mine! The Empire and the First can't just come here and take it from me. The Gods themselves deem that I alone am to be honoured for this...'
'And so you will be.' Tenabin interrupted. 'But if I had done my duty, that's exactly what they should do.' Torbin looked at his superior with astonishment. 'We found you after falling an incredible distance into the depths of the ice in the clutches of a beast that had, till two days ago, passed into legend, your body sprawled on the ground,
your armour was torn off and the mark of the creature's attack on you still. Tell me, my young friend. What would you have done?' Everything became clear to Torbin. Tenabin had made no mention in his message to the mainland that he had been hurt and at the creature's mercy. He had done his best to put him on top of everything so that he would get all the glory and ensure the expedition team would receive top honours and be welcomed home with great rewards. Torbin looked at his leader with complete humility.
'In your position, I would have told them everything, which would have led to my death, the creature's, the imprisonment of our team and everything hushed up by the Empire.'
'Exactly,' replied Tenabin. 'Instead, you and the team are heroes. Whatever Lord or Lady is commanding the First, they are not only coming to secure the creature, but to put you in charge of, well, everything.'
Torbin could hardly believe what he was hearing. It was everything he could have asked for. Yet he couldn't help but feel guilty.
'But Sir, this is your command. Surely-'
'My command,' Tenabin interrupted, 'was to build a facility to keep the worst of our kind away from civilisation. Despite what is happening, that endeavour has not changed. The Empire has already ordered that arrangements to move Treygen here are to go ahead as planned. They have deemed the Griftin and everything in the chamber to be seized, brought from this place to the safety of Mordabinn.
It was that moment, just when Torbin thought he had reached the height of his potential, that everything seemed to disappear. He knew that if he let them come and take the creature, he would never be allowed to do the work that was needed. Once the authorities arrived, Torbin would never get the answers he could get from spending private time with his research tools in the chamber, even more importantly, a chance to question the creature.'
'Sir, if this is a Griftin form the old times, any attempt to subdue the creature, if it becomes hostile, will surely fail. Legend says that they were the most powerfully Magical beings of the four races, could summon the very elements at will, not to mention their born ability to fly. Surely the importance and presence of this creature demand all our efforts to secure and learn from it. Let that murdering piece of bile rot in a cell on the mainland until we know what we're dealing with. The creature needs study in the environment we found it in if I am to determine what brought it there.
Tenabin looked sternly at Torbin. 'You know if you go down there and begin investigating without the First being there, they will lock you away. No, better to wait till they get here. To be honest, I'm more worried about them finding out the truth of how we found you.'
Torbin was worried about that too. Both he, Tenabin and most likely the team members that found him must have concluded that the creature must have used some sort of healing Magic to restore Torbin to health, having been found entirely healthy and not frozen to death. This would be enough for the First to lock him up, for everyone knows that Dwarves were resistant to the effects of Magic from the other races. If Magic had been responsible for saving him, which it clearly was, the Empire would kill him, the creature, the team and most likely the whole facility to keep the truth from coming out.
'No one in the team is stupid, Torbin,' continued Tenabin, 'they know what will happen if the First find out how you survived and all have sworn an oath of secrecy, providing you be silent, keep the creature in check and not have it reveal anything.'
Success is bittersweet, thought Torbin. He knew his leader was right. If he was going to keep everyone alive, he had to do the impossible and curb his need for more. This was hard for any Dwarf under such circumstances, but Torbin didn't want the blood of his fellows on this hands. He remembered some of the looks they had given him on the way to the Command Cabin. Though he could not see their faces, their demeanour was uncertain, and there were some who even backed away in a hurry at the sight of him. Though he was confident in Tenabin's ability to silence them, he couldn't help but feel uneasy about them having any reason to fear him.
'I will do as you've asked, Sir. I will keep our team safe and hold my tongue.'
Tenabin smiled. 'You are wise my young friend. Don't worry. The Empire will shower you in gold and jewels soon enough. And I think we will both have to get used to us calling you Sir from now on.
Torbin couldn't deny liking the sound of that. It would be strange, but he saw himself getting used to it in a hurry. The look on his parent’s faces as the Empire honoured him would bring him untold happiness. His thoughts were interrupted when the door slammed open with Borin bursting in.
'They're here!'
'What is the damn meaning of this?' demanded Tenabin.
Borin struggled to catch his breath. 'The First, Sir, they have disembarked from the train station. They are making their way through the tunnels to our location!'
CHAPTER 3
THE FIRST BATTALION
The Dwarves ran out of Tenabin's office into the Command Cabin. The place was buzzing with activity. Dwarves ran around everywhere making sure that everything was tidy, that their armour was on correctly when the main door opened. Huge, stern teams of black armour cladded Warriors filled the space. They circled the outer ring of the room, enclosing the team members close together. Once Torbin had gotten over the shock of their presence, he was immediately was hit by a question. How did teams of the First get fitted out with thermal armour so fast if they had only found about their situation two days ago? There was only one possible answer. The Empress or some Lord or Lady had theorised that the prison would need reinforcements if all the security measures failed. Someone had commissioned the Smiths of Mordabinn to obtain copies of the plans to outfit members of the First with thermal amour if the unthinkable happened and they were needed. At the end of their company, another Dwarf in shining silver and gold cladded thermal armour came into the room and took off his helmet.
'Dad!'
Everyone
in the cabin turned to Forin, then back to the older Dwarf. Sure enough, Torbin could see the resemblance in the face, rather than the stature and the symbol of the Noble family stood out for all to see on the front of his chest-plate. It was none other than Lord Zentin of the Empire. From the size of his armour, Torbin could tell that the Lord was thin in comparison to his bulk of a son but wore even grander armour than that forced upon his only child. What had happened to make Forin as big as he was he didn't know, nor wanted to. The Nobility were supposed to reflect the best of their society. Torbin could only guess that he initially intended for his son to be a formidable Warrior, but the boy's nature made that impossible. Torbin knew this was not the time to dwell on such things. The whole expedition, except Forin of course, dropped to one knee in submission of their Noble guest who, as it appeared, was leading the First Battalion.
If Zentin was aware of his son's greeting, he didn't acknowledge him. Protocol above all, when it came to Nobility. 'Which of you are Tenabin and Torbin?'
Torbin felt his throat clench as he and Tenabin stepped forward.
Zentin approached Tenabin with a scroll taken from a left pouch on his belt. 'Commander Tenabin, by order of the Empire, you are ordered to temporarily suspend operations for the Void Prison Project and turn over full authority of your expedition to Torbin, Son of Rafarin.'
Tenabin took the scroll, broke off the Imperial seal, read the document and turned to Torbin. He reached for this ranking crest attached to his breastplate, pulled it off and handed it to Torbin with a bow. The young Dwarf took it, feelings of both awkwardness and honour running through him. He didn't have time to get used to it, for Lord Zentin was quickly upon him.
'Torbin, you are charged by order of the Empire to assume command of this facility, with the mission of its creation and now examining the discovered chamber, the creature found within and the level of danger they pose to Dwarven kind. Your House will be informed and rewarded with riches equaling you and your kin to Nobility. I suggest you get to work if you want to keep them.'
Taking his words literally, Torbin and bowed made to exit the Command Cabin when Zentin put his gauntlet against the young Dwarf's chest plate. When Torbin looked at Zentin, he felt the older Dwarf examining him. But quite unexpectedly, his face broke quickly into a smile.
'Not before, of course, we hold a feast in you and your team's honour. Tell your people to finish what work they are doing and get ready for the best meal they've had in a long time!'
The whole cabin broke out in wild cheers. Torbin felt the tension in his body draining away when Zentin offered his arm and clasped it in his own.
'Yes, my Lord!' Torbin said in a near daze. 'We are honoured to have you and The First in our presence.'
'The honour is ours, Commander. There is much to discuss and an even greater amount to do in the coming days, so make sure you and your fellows drink your fill tonight. I assure you, there is plenty for all.'
*****
The Lord was true to his word. By the end of the day, all mining teams had been recalled, and the machinery shut down. All workers were recalled and ordered to take a few hours off before attending the feast that night. The First Battalion had processed another train of supplies, all full of exquisite food and mead made only in Mordabinn. Torbin could only suppose they had come from Lord Zentin's own store, as Mordabinn was virtually on the other side of the world. Everyone walked around in a daze. Torbin could hardly blame them. He was feeling it too, if not more so. But he tried to focus and keep his head. Recent experience had reminded him, this place could kill you in a second if you let it.
Running the facility was its own challenge. Zentin had put the regiment of the First Battalion at his disposal. He decided the most prudent use for them was to guard the new tunnel that had been formed by the Crawler to reach the chamber. Under no circumstances were they to approach it. According to the reports from the expedition guards that had secured the chamber, the creature remained utterly still, chained and had apparently enveloping itself within its massive wings as a means of protection. He felt secure with the best of the best watching over it. But he felt even better knowing they remained where they were and not following him around all the time. Though he was by no means a coward, even the mere sight of them made him unsettled. If he could get through the night without the creature getting up and causing a ruckus, he would count himself the luckiest Dwarf alive.
Though the prospect of a celebration with real food was enticing, what he really wanted to do was get right back into the chamber and examine the creature. Never mind the archaeological and architectural significance of the stonework, the chance to study the only known Griftin was damned irresistible. But Zentin ordered that it be kept under guard for the night. Torbin knew that Zentin was taking safety as paramount. The repercussions of one of the lost races returning could mean anything for his kind. Like Zentin, Torbin had to think of the worst-case scenario, that the creature intended harm. It had already demonstrated the power of its Magic on him personally by healing his shattered body and saving him from cold exposure. If it could do that after hiding beneath the ice for over so many thousand years, Torbin dreaded to think what else it could do. But Zentin had spoken. They locked the thing up and prepared to feast. There was one thing left to do first.
*****
Torbin knocked on Forin's door. There was no answer. Back home, Dwarves would have thought nothing of this and waited until they were ready to be received. Out in the Wastes, every second counted when dependent on armour powered by Fire Runes and living in cabins with heat fields. He hammered his gauntlet on the door again when it opened — revealing Lord Zentin.
Torbin knelt instantly. Zentin immediately passed through the door's field and picked him up from the ground, leading him inside. 'You do not bow to me anymore, Commander Torbin. Your triumphs equal you to the Noble ranks now, and well deserved too.' Torbin nodded to the Dwarven Lord, his head reeling that a Noble regarded him in such a friendly manner and knew it would take a long time for him to get used to. He turned his head to get a peek at Forin. The boy was sitting in the corner, half dressed, his naked back to the door, looking very subdued. 'It isn't necessary for the prison Commander to escort me to the feast, my guard will do.'
Torbin looked back to the Lord, held his gaze and kept respect in his voice. 'With respect, my Lord, I have business with your son before the feast begins.'
Surprise flashed across Zentin's face. Torbin thought it would have been amusing if it were not for the uneasy feeling he was getting. 'I see. Boy, get up, your leader has business with you!'
Forin ran over to the door and stood to attention. His naked torso was sweaty, his oversized muscles rippling all over. At first, Torbin though it was the cold. Even with Runes keeping a warm energy field around the cabins, cold still found a way in sometimes. But Torbin realised it wasn't the cold effecting him. His young friend was afraid. Torbin would even go so far as to say he was petrified.
'With respect, my Lord, our business is private.'
Zentin looked nervous. The thought of leaving his son alone with someone important obviously didn't sit well with him. But there was nothing he could do. His son was in Torbin's charge. 'Very well, I'll see both of you soon.'
Zentin looked back at his son, his gaze lingering on him a while before putting his helmet on and walking through the field and sealing the door. An uncomfortable silence filled the cabin. Forin still stood like a statue while Torbin took off his helmet and deactivated his Runes. The poor boy's eyes were still wide as if terror was sure to descend upon him. Torbin put a gauntleted hand on Forin's shoulder. On closer inspection, he realised the reason why Forin was looking into the corner when he arrived. He had wet himself.
All the reverence he felt a moment ago had disappeared, and Lord Zentin had just managed to place himself thoroughly in Torbin's shit-list. A Lord of the Empire or not, there was no excuse, none what so ever, for treating your child like this, no matter how soft in the head he wa
s.
'Come on, Forin, let's get you some clean coverings and get your armour on for the feast.'
Tears started running down the boy's face before he undressed. As Forin found himself new coverings, Torbin couldn't help having a quick look at the boy in his entirety. He looked past the impressiveness of his body, looking to find some evidence of physical abuse. Thankfully, nothing but the most muscular body the Dwarf had ever seen was evident with no wounds or bruising at all.
As Torbin began helping with his armour, Forin finally spoke in a rush. 'I'm sorry I dropped you!'
It was absurd, but Torbin burst out laughing. 'What?'
'If I didn't drop you, then none of this would be happening... and he wouldn't be here.' If Torbin's heart wasn't bleeding for Forin before, it certainly was now. 'Sit down,' said Torbin, gesturing to the bed. Forin obeyed, an expression of sadness still across his face. Torbin knelt in front of him. 'Listen to me. You saved us, both me and Borin. He may not show it. He's a proud, stubborn grunt, but I know he's grateful. If it weren't for you, all the wonderful things that have happened to me, to us, wouldn't be going on. And they are glorious, I promise you.' Forin sniffed, trying his best to look pleased. 'And besides, I'm in charge now, and no worker will dare threaten you, or I'll order them to sleep on the surface.' Forin gave a little laugh and colour started to return to his face. 'You and me, friend. We'll take all the glory that this place has to offer and return home, basking in gold!' Forin laughed again and nodded. With that, Torbin got him on his feet and helped to put on all the young Dwarf's armour. He was glad to see him happy again. But a question had been burning in Torbin's mind since seeing Forin's wet coverings. He didn't want to upset him again, but if he was to take action, he had to know. 'Forin, has your First Father ever hurt you?' Forin did not meet his eyes, but Torbin could see them become wide again through the visor in his helmet. It was all he needed to know and more than enough to make him plan his next moves in the coming hours of the night.